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Development and characterization of a nano-scale contrast agent
Brian E Oeffinger1, Margaret A Wheatley
1School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems, Drexel University, 3141 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
Ultrasonics
|March 30, 2004
Summary
Researchers developed surfactant-stabilized nanobubbles for targeted delivery. These nano-bubbles, ranging from 450-700 nm, show acoustic enhancement for potential tumor imaging applications.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Nanotechnology
- Acoustic Imaging
Background:
- Parenteral agents must be <8 µm to pass pulmonary capillaries.
- Targeting extravascular cells requires agents <700 nm for tumor vasculature penetration.
- Previous work produced microbubbles (1.5 µm) using sonication.
Purpose of the Study:
- To create surfactant-stabilized nanobubbles with favorable acoustic properties.
- To identify key parameters influencing nanobubble size, yield, and stability.
- To assess in vitro acoustic enhancement of generated nanobubbles.
Main Methods:
- Nanobubbles generated via sonication of specific surfactant mixtures.
- Size distribution characterized using laser light scattering.
- In vitro acoustic enhancement assessed via dose and time response curves.
- Centrifugation used to isolate nanobubbles.
Main Results:
- Nanobubbles with mean diameters of 450-700 nm were successfully produced.
- In vitro studies showed up to 27 dB acoustic enhancement.
- Maximum enhancement and shadowing depended on fabrication protocol.
- Sonication time did not significantly influence nanobubble size.
Conclusions:
- Feasible production of surfactant-stabilized nanobubbles achieved.
- Nanobubble size is controllable via process variables.
- Demonstrated potential for acoustic imaging applications.
- Further studies will focus on mathematical modeling and in vivo validation.